Carolyn Maloney

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. I thank the Speaker from the great State of New York for yielding me this time on this incredibly important issue. And, Mr. Speaker, as we approach the sixth anniversary of the tragic events of September 11, I appreciate the opportunity to speak today about one of the most important issues facing my district, my hometown of New York City and our Nation. I am so proud to be here today with my colleague and good friend from Manhattan, Jerry Nadler, who has been a tireless advocate for everyone who has become sick from the toxins of 9/11. His district includes Ground Zero, and our work together on this issue can truly move this forward. I want to note that a number of New Yorkers will be with me today, Congressman Fossella, Yvette Clarke, John Hall, Eliot Engel. And Steve Israel, if he was not in the Chair being the Speaker, he would be down here on the floor talking about the six men and women from 9/11 who need our help, and possibly Chairman Pallone. Mr. Speaker, the death toll from 9/11 is still growing, and the nightmare of that day has continued for thousands of our fellow Americans who are suffering with illnesses and injuries caused by the attacks, but are not getting the help they need. When people hear that the men and women who rushed in to save the lives of others on that terrible day, who worked to clean up the site, who worked in construction, I remember that day there were signs everywhere, ``iron workers, report for duty,'' retired workers, all workers to the site. These men and women rushed to the site thinking of others, not of themselves; and many of them are sick and they need our help now. The collapse of the World Trade Center towers took nearly 3,000 lives in an instant and released a massive cloud of asbestos, pulverized concrete and other poisons. These toxins have sickened thousands and have killed at least eight, but likely dozens more Americans, in the years since 9/11. On 9/11, 500 of my neighbors and constituents lost their lives. That was more than any other district. We lost up to 3,000 people, but thousands and thousands more lost their health; and we need to be there to help them now. The gray dust that billowed through Lower Manhattan that day is said to have been as caustic as drain cleaner. It settled in the homes of Lower Manhattan, in downtown schools, playgrounds and parks, and in the lungs of tens of thousands of Americans. These forgotten victims of 9/ 11 either lived or worked downtown, courageously volunteered for rescue and recovery operations at Ground Zero, or merely happened to be in Lower Manhattan, a school child, a worker, on one of the worst mornings our country has ever known. And right now, more than 6,500 responders, truly the heroes and heroines of 9/11, are being treated for 9/11- related health problems through the federally funded World Trade Center Medical Monitoring and Treatment Program. And more than 5,000 have been referred for mental health care, often for conditions like post- traumatic stress syndrome. Every month, another 500 to 1,000 responders sign up for health monitoring, and those coming in are more sick than ever before. In all, more than 70,000 Americans reported to the World Trade Center Health Registry, and they were near Ground Zero in the days following 9/11 and have serious concerns about their health. As you would expect, the majority of those registered are from New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. But what many people may not know is that more than 10,000 Americans from outside the tri-state area have also signed up for the registry. Amazingly, every single State and 431 of the 435 congressional districts nationwide have someone in the World Trade Center Registry in New York City. This is a health emergency on a national scale, and it requires a strong Federal response. This Saturday at Ground Zero, many of us on the floor here this afternoon will be joining the working men and women of New York City's labor movement in a rally to send a message loud and clear that the time is now to support our heroes of 9/11. Six years is long enough. Along with the New York State AFL-CIO, the New York City Central Labor Council and the Building and Construction Trades Council, we will be showing honor, support and respect for the contributions and sacrifices of the heroes and heroines of 9/11. And we will be rallying for action from the government to care for the thousands of people who have become sick because of the toxins of Ground Zero. With the strong support of the AFL-CIO, Representative Nadler and I are preparing to introduce, along with Congressman Fossella and many others, new comprehensive legislation to do just that. The 9/11 Health and Compensation Act will ensure that everyone exposed to the Ground Zero toxins has a right to be medically monitored, and all who are sick as a result have a right for treatment. It will build on the expertise of the Centers for Excellence, which are currently providing high-quality care to thousands of responders and ensuring an ongoing data collection and analysis, expanding care to the entire exposed community. The bill also includes care for area residents, workers, and school children, as well as the thousands of people that came from across the country to assist with recovery and clean-up efforts. Finally, it provides compensation for economic damages and loss by reopening the September 11, 2001 Victims Compensation Fund. I have been working for years to make this happen, along with all of the members of the New York delegation. And I am very proud to be working with Representative Nadler, with the strong support of the New York AFL-CIO, to move this comprehensive, bipartisan bill through Congress. We are united as a delegation; we are united with labor; we are united at the various levels of government, and we are truly committed. We will not stop, and we will continue to work every single day and hour to make sure that this happens. Six years, six long years is long enough for the men and women who are sick because they rushed into burning buildings to save the lives of others, to work on a deadly pile where the toxins infected their lungs. Once again, the 9/11 health crisis is a national emergency that was caused by an attack on our country. Only the Federal Government has the resources and the reach to properly address the health and compensation needs of thousands of Americans from across this Nation whose health was compromised by the World Trade Center attacks. I must say that we would not have moved forward as we have with some funding and some help without the complete support of the Democratic leadership. Chairman Obey, who has put money in the appropriations bill, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has met with the sick and injured workers many, many times here in the Capitol, along with Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and others. This is a united Democratic and Republican effort to help the sick people that are sick because of the attack on America. The solutions I have outlined this afternoon are neither easy nor inexpensive, but they are part of our country's moral obligation. As the wealthiest country in the world, it is our duty to care for those who responded to an act of war. These were the first veterans of the act of war. They are veterans; they should be treated with health care. We must take care of the people who took care of us following 9/11. Many risked their lives, and many, many more risked their health. It is the least we can do as a grateful Nation. The time to act is now. Six years is long enough. I would now like to recognize my colleague and dear friend from the Lower East Side who has been a tireless advocate for everyone who has become sick from the toxins. His district includes Ground Zero. And our work together on this issue can truly move this issue forward. Congressman Nadler is recognized for 5 minutes.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. We are all in it together, East Side, West Side, all around the town. All around the Nation, really.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. I thank the gentleman for his leadership and for his moving statement. Mr. Speaker, the New York Daily News editorial board won the Pulitzer Prize for its groundbreaking series of editorials entitled ``9/11, The Forgotten Victims'' which documented the growing medical fallout from the World Trade Center attacks. Since this is really about the sick heroes and heroines of 9/11, not about legislation or legislators, I would like to share an excerpt from this award-winning series. This is from part 1 of the series entitled, ``Abandoned Heroes,'' which was originally published in 2006. I quote, ``They cough, they wheeze, their heads and faces pound with the pressure of swollen sinuses. They lose their breath with minor exertion. They suffer the suffocation of asthma and diseases that attack the very tissues of their lungs. They endure acid reflux, a painful indigestion that never goes away. They are haunted by the mental and emotional traumas of having witnessed horror. Many are too disabled to work. And some have died.'' Mr. Speaker, I now yield 5 minutes to my colleague and friend from the other side of the aisle, the gentleman from New York, Vito Fossella, who has worked very hard to get funding for the heroes of 9/ 11, including $25 million in the President's budget.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. I thank the gentleman. Mr. Speaker, I would like to say that we are now approaching the sixth anniversary and there are a number of committees here in the House that will be looking closely at this issue. I want to thank Chairman Pallone of the Health Subcommittee on Energy and Commerce for holding a very important hearing on the health effects on the day of the anniversary. Many of his constituents rushed down to Ground Zero in the aftermath of 9/11, and they are now very sick. In fact, one of the Centers of Excellence providing monitoring and treatment to sick workers is located in Congressman Pallone's district. There will be no greater champion, no one more important for the sick workers of 9/11 than Frank Pallone and Chairman Dingell. I thank them for their hard work. Also, Chairman Towns, my dear friend from Brooklyn, will be holding a field hearing in New York City on Monday in his Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Government Management. This is the third hearing this year that the chairman has held on making sure that everyone exposed to the deadly toxins is monitored and everyone who is sick is treated. His dedication to helping the residents, area workers and schoolchildren and those who came from across the country to help is tremendous. Last, our friend and true leader in the Congress, Chairman Miller of the Education and Labor Committee, is delving into why workers were not protected while working at and around Ground Zero. On Wednesday of next week his full committee will hold an important hearing, the first in a series, with the second focusing on why workers were not protected after Hurricane Katrina. I thank my dear friend for his ongoing focus and support for this issue. It is clear that this Congress will not allow the heroes of 9/11 to go longer without the care they need and deserve. Six years is long enough. We now have one of our other distinguished colleagues from New York, Steve Israel. He serves on the Appropriations Committee. Along with Chairman Obey, he worked to secure $100 million in this year's budget for the sick workers. We thank him for his commitment and support. Mr. Speaker, I yield to my dear friend and colleague from the State of New York, Congressman Israel.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for raising the issue of his two constituents with whom he has worked. It brings a personal face on the tragic horror that many people confront. I also want to particularly commend him for his work on the Appropriations Committee. In addition to the comprehensive legislation that we are jointly putting in as a delegation, Mr. Israel and others on the Appropriations Committee have taken a lead in providing funding. In recent months, because of his efforts and those of others, we have passed appropriations bills to make sure that federally financed 9/11 health clinics, including those run by Mount Sinai and the New York City Fire Department, do not have to shut their doors because of lack of funding. We included $50 million for 9/11 health clinics in the recent war supplemental spending measure and the House-passed Labor-HHS appropriations bill. This was done by Mr. Israel's committee. I mentioned a moment ago that this included another $50 million for 9/11 health needs. In the Senate version of the Labor-HHS bill, Senators Clinton, Schumer and others have gotten $55 million into the Senate bill. So when this appropriations bill gets signed into law, we in Congress will have provided at least $100 million for 9/11 health needs this year alone. This is a very good start. Thank you so much, Steve. It is a testimony to the leadership not only of Steve, but of the two Senators, our entire New York delegation, our Democratic leadership, and I would say very importantly, I would say Congressman Obey, for his leadership in this battle for funding. We will continue the fight to ensure that the heroes of 9/11 have access to the health care that they deserve. Mr. Speaker, I now yield to my distinguished colleague and friend, John Hall, of New York's Nineteenth District. He represents the Hudson Valley. He has just been elected to Congress, but he is fighting just as hard as all of us who have suffered from 9/11 to make sure that the health care needs of the wounded are taken care of. I thank him for joining me in this Special Order and for his hard work.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his statement and for his cosponsorship and his leadership on this very important issue. I know that your district also includes men and women who rushed to the site to help others. Thank you so much. I am now proud to yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Weiner) who has been a tireless advocate, along with Jerry Nadler and others, for everyone who has become sick from the toxins of 9/11.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. I thank the gentleman very much for his leadership not only on this bill but on many others that help the 9/11 survivors. He has been a leader on the Judiciary Committee on the 9/11 immigration bill which will be on the floor on 9/11 and hopefully will pass. It is now my pleasure to yield to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Clarke). Yvette Clarke was elected to the New York City Council the year of 9/11 where she served as the Chair of the Women's Committee and held many important positions. She now represents the 11th Congressional District representing central Brooklyn. Thank you for being here today and for your statement.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. I thank the gentlewoman for her really very eloquent and moving statement, and in closing, we must not forget the firefighters, police officers, EMTs and other first responders who bravely rushed down to the save the lives even as everyone else was running in the other direction, as my colleague so eloquently stated. We must not forget the rescue, recovery and cleanup workers who stayed on for months at Ground Zero in service to our country. And we must not forget the residents, area workers and school children who lived, worked and studied through deadly toxins and have now become sick. Once again, I stand on the floor of Congress to pledge that I will not stop fighting until everyone exposed to the deadly toxins is monitored and everyone who is sick gets the treatment they deserve.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that my colleagues have 5 days to revise and extend their remarks on the subject of my Special Order.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, as cochair and cofounder of the Hellenic Caucus, I rise today in strong support of the Sarbanes resolution, H. Res. 629, expressing the condolences and sympathy of the House of Representatives to the Government and the people of Greece for the loss of 65 lives and destruction caused by the devastating fires raging through Greece, and which pledges our full support and solidarity to Greece. This disaster has affected all parts of Greece. Thousands of people are homeless, many of whom have lost all of their possessions. Hundreds of thousands of acres of land have been ravaged. Our government has pledged $1.3 million to aid Greece during this difficult time. We have sent professional help and fire equipment. Along with my colleagues in the Hellenic Caucus, we will be urging the State Department to remain in close contact with Greek authorities so that the United States can continue to assist in every way with this effort. Greece has been a strong ally to our Nation, assisting us in times of need, including the terrible terrorist attacks on September 11 and Hurricane Katrina. We must now help Greece in its time of need. Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Greece.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding, and I rise to express my deep sadness to learn of the passing of one of my good friends and colleagues, Paul Gillmor. Paul was the ranking member of the Financial Institutions Subcommittee that I chair, and I had the great privilege of working with him on so many important issues throughout the years. In fact, this morning at the hearing we were holding on the subprime mortgage crisis, I had reserved 4 minutes for Paul to speak and he didn't come to the meeting. He was always punctual, and so we sent a staff member out to find him and found out the very, very sad news. Paul was a distinguished Representative representing Ohio for many years. He held some partisan positions as the minority deputy whip; but on Financial Services, he was always ready to reach across the aisle and to work in a bipartisan way for the safety and soundness of our financial institutions and protections of consumer concerns. He had a great deal of experience in banking, and in fact had run banks back in his home State of Ohio, so he brought the practical common sense of having known the business firsthand, and he always had valuable insights. Just before we broke for our August work period, we had introduced a bill together on file freeze and negotiated various aspects that he thought was important for the bill. He was an outstanding person. He served in Vietnam and he was a distinguished veteran. He served in the Air Force and achieved the status of captain. My brother served in Vietnam, and we shared conversations about that experience. He was an extremely outstanding leader in his home State of Ohio, and actually served in the State senate and headed the State senate for five terms before becoming elected to Congress. My heart goes out to his wife and children. I know I speak for many of my colleagues when I say that Paul's presence in this Chamber will be deeply, deeply missed. He was an outstanding patriot and outstanding Congressman and an outstanding spouse, husband and father. We are all deeply, deeply saddened.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3221, the New Direction for Energy Independence, National Security, and Consumer Protection Act. This bill will truly lead us in a new direction. By investing in renewable energy technologies and landmark energy efficiency efforts, we'll be creating millions of green jobs in our economy. With the government taking the lead in reducing greenhouse gases, we'll be setting the right example and setting the bar high. By encouraging high-payoff energy technology R&D, we'll be spurring innovation in solar, geothermal, and marine renewable energy. And by taking steps to increase accountability in the payment of federal oil and gas royalties, we'll be doing more to ensure the American taxpayers are being paid their fair share in royalties from oil and gas companies. One important addition that I believe must be included in the bill is a 15 percent Renewable Electricity Standard. I hope my colleagues will support the Udall amendment to put our Nation on a path toward a clean energy future. Another important improvement to the bill would be the addition of a study of ways to improve the accuracy of collection of federal oil and natural gas royalties. The American taxpayers are possibly being cheated out of billions of dollars in royalties owed to them by energy companies, and an amendment I offered to the Rules committee to ensure such a study would help get taxpayers the royalties they are due. Lawsuits have been filed alleging that energy companies are underpaying billions of dollars in royalties because of these inaccuracies--or possibly because of outright manipulation-- in the process for determining royalty payments. Many of these lawsuits have been settled; and we're talking about a lot of money here: In 2000 and 2001, major oil companies settled with the Justice Department for over half a billion dollars in two False Claims Act lawsuits over oil and royalty underpayments. In 2004, Chevron paid out $111 million to the State of Louisiana for underpayments. In 2005, BP owned up to the tune of $233 in a Colorado case. And, in a case still pending, Exxon Mobil may owe up to $3.6 billion or much more to the State of Alabama for underpayments in royalties there. Certainly, for this kind of money, we can afford to ask the experts who understand the technical issues here to study the major underlying problems. I am disappointed that my amendment was not ruled in order, but I am pleased to have support from Chairman Rahall, in addition to support from the Project on Government Oversight, Taxpayers for Common Sense Action and Friends of the Earth. I thank Chairman Rahall for agreeing to hold a hearing on this issue, and I look forward to working with him toward enacting this provision. Mr. Chairman, the American people are ready to tackle the challenges of global climate change, to get on a path to energy independence, and to be a leader in the world in protecting our planet. They're ready for a New Direction, and I am proud that this Democratic Congress has undertaken the challenge. No one doubts that bringing this important bill to the floor today has been a long and hard fight. I applaud the hard work of all the leaders on this issue and urge all my colleagues to support the bill.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Joe Donnelly was mistakenly listed as a cosponsor of H.J. Res. 40, and I would like to remove him as a cosponsor of H.J. Res. 40.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, today I am reintroducing, along with Representative Deborah Pryce (R-OH) and Representative Robert Brady (D-PA), the Cancer Screening Coverage Act, a bill that will ensure that a greater number of Americans are covered for breast, cervical, prostate, and colorectal cancer screening. This legislation will increase the access to cancer screening exams for patients of private insurance and the Federal Employees Health Benefits plan. Cancer is the second leading cause of death among Americans. According to the American Cancer Society, more than 1,500 Americans die of cancer every day. Cancer screening allows for the detection of cancer in its earliest form, when the cost of treatment is the least. Many advances have been made, but the key to survival is early detection. It is estimated that the rate of survival would increase from 80 percent to 95 percent if all Americans participated in regular cancer screening. By providing increased access to screening procedures, the Cancer Screening Coverage Act would help save the lives of many Americans from this deadly disease.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, today, along with Representatives Deborah Pryce and Lynn Woolsey, I am reintroducing legislation that would combat human sex trafficking by using the Tax Code to put traffickers in prison. Approximately 800,000 people are trafficked across international borders each year. Instead of dreams of better jobs and better lives, they are trapped into a nightmare of coercion, violence, and disease. However, trafficking is not just a problem in other countries. In addition to the men, women, and children from around the world who are brought into the United States for the sole purpose of being bought and sold by American citizens for commercial sex, in many communities, the victims themselves are Americans. The legislation would authorize $4 million toward the establishment of an office within the IRS Criminal Investigation Division to prosecute sex traffickers for violations of tax laws. This office would coordinate closely with the existing task forces in the Department of Justice that are focused on sex trafficking offenders. The IRS would be directed to focus on the willful failure of traffickers to file returns, supply information, or pay taxes where the taxpayer is an ``aggravated'' non-filer. Additionally, the provision establishes a new felony offense for an aggravated failure to file, to include failure to file with respect to income or payments derived from activity which is criminal under Federal or State law. The aggravated failure shall carry a maximum sentence of 10 years per failure and shall increase the penalty from $25,000 under current law to $50,000. The legislation also increases other penalties for underpayment or overpayment of tax due to fraud. The bill works to the benefit of the women and girls that are victimized by the traffickers not only by removing the traffickers from the streets but also by revising the IRS Whistleblower provisions that are currently in place so that the women and girls who choose to participate in the investigation of the trafficker will be eligible to participate in the whistleblower program and may ultimately receive some payment for their participation. This bill will provide the IRS with the necessary resources to prosecute traffickers, pimps, and sex tour operators and recover their illicit profits. It is important that we protect the victims of the sex trade industry and punish the predators who exploit them.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support, of H. Con: Res. 188, which condemns the attack on the AMIA Jewish Community Center in Buenos Aires, Argentina. This attack reduced the 7-story headquarters of the Argentinean Jewish community to rubble and resulted in 85 deaths and 300 wounded. Everyday, Jews around the world face the injustice of anti-Semitism, and many have lost their lives because of bigotry. This resolution condemns the attacks but also applauds the government of Argentina for increasing the pace of the continuing investigation of this attack. It is important that we support this resolution to encourage Argentina to continue to provide the resources necessary for its judicial system and intelligence agencies to fully investigate the AMIA case and bring those responsible to justice. When we as individuals or as a government allow intolerance and hatred to fester and flourish, we are faced with terrible consequences. Put simply, intolerance must not be tolerated. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 121, of which I am a cosponsor, which expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the Government of Japan should formally acknowledge, apologize, and accept historical responsibility in a clear and unequivocal manner for its Imperial Armed Force's coercion of young women into sexual slavery, known to the world as ``comfort women,'' during its colonial and wartime occupation of Asia and the Pacific Islands from the 1930s through the duration of World War II. As a co-chair of the Human Trafficking Caucus, I am all too familiar with the terrible problem of sexual slavery. H. Res. 121 reminds us that women throughout history have faced this type of inhumane treatment. According to the resolution, some textbooks used in Japanese schools downplay this tragedy, and public and private officials wish to rescind a 1993 statement by Chief Cabinet Secretary Yohei Kono, which expressed the Government of Japan's sincere apologies and remorse for the ordeal faced by the ``comfort women.'' I believe that if we are going to successfully combat this problem worldwide, nations must come to terms with their pasts so that such practices do not happen again in the future. Human trafficking is a $10 billion worldwide industry and one of the largest organized crime rings in history. According to the State Department, approximately 800,000 people are trafficked across international borders for labor and commercial sex purposes each year; the number is in the millions when trafficking within borders is counted. While we have a lot of work ahead of us to end human trafficking, I believe that through our collective efforts, we can make a difference. I want to commend Representative Honda for sponsoring this legislation and for his tireless efforts to get this bill to the floor today. I am committed to ending modern-day slavery, and I urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, on August 2nd and 3rd, the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE) will be holding its national editorial conference in New York City for the first time in its almost 40-year history. I wanted to use this occasion to congratulate ASBPE for its outstanding efforts to increase the professionalization of our nation's trade press editors. The work of trade publication editors is vitally important to not only our democracy but to the commercial success of our country as well. Each and every industry in the United States is served by an array of magazines, newsletters, newspapers, and Web publications whose only mission is to facilitate the free exchange of information among professionals in an industry. As the knowledgeable and highly trained specialists who create the content for and manage those publications, business editors are the key to the continued free flow of news, best practices, and technical research that's so critical to ensuring the continued success of American professionals and industry in a rapidly globalizing world. Trade editors are the indispensable knowledge workers who help shape the environment in which businesses and nonprofit organizations operate. These knowledge workers combine expertise in their subject matter with their skills as writers and editors to tell the stories that professionals in an industry rely on to grow their own expertise. Without our trade press editors, companies and organizations would operate in a black hole, devoid of information and unable to grow. In our post-industrial world, information is the currency of success. It's especially fitting that ASBPE be acknowledged at this time, because it has recently released its revised Code of Ethics, which is unique in the scope of its effort to come to grips with the rapidly changing digital environment in which editors must work. Professionals throughout the world of business journalism have appropriately acknowledged the thoughtful, balanced approach taken by ASBPE to set guidelines for editors struggling to understand what's appropriate, and what's not, in today's highly digitalized world. Already ASBPE has received kudos from publishers and editors for balancing the needs of advertisers and the inviolable need for journalism objectivity in our brave new world of digital media, but I'd like to add my own congratulations for its admirable work in this area. ASBPE's Code of Ethics truly represents one of the first comprehensive efforts to give editors the same level of guidance in the digital world that they have had in the print world. I have been very involved in many issues considered by this Congress that impact the job of journalism professionals like those who belong to ASBPE. As you know, as a member of the Subcommittee on Government Management, Finance, and Accountability, I have tried to ensure the rights of journalists to maintain access to government information, as intended in the first amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Among other things, I recognized early on the impact of digital communications on journalism by advocating passage of E-FOIA, a law that eases public access to information in an electronic format under the Freedom of Information Act. In the 109th Congress I was an early cosponsor of the OPEN Government Act, which would help independent bloggers and other new-media communicators obtain government information by expanding FOIA provisions to journalists not affiliated with institutions. Time and again I have called for openness over secrecy in the dissemination of information by the executive branch of the federal government, whether it involves testimony from former government officials on homeland security matters, or scientists' recommendations on contraceptive safety. In these efforts, I share many of the goals of the editorial professionals in the trade press. It is with great pleasure that I welcome ASBPE to my city and congratulate its president, Roy Harris, Jr., of CFO Magazine in Boston, and its incoming president, Steven Roll of the Bureau of National Affairs in Washington, D.C., for the success of their growing organization. I also want to congratulate Warren Hersch, ASBPE's New York City chapter president, for hosting his organization in our great city. A congratulatory note, too, to ASBPE's two most recent past presidents, Paul Heney of Hydraulics & Pneumatics Magazine in Cleveland, and Robert Freedman of Realtor Magazine in Washington, D.C. Finally, a hearty good luck to ASBPE's other national officers, Vice President Portia Stewart of Firstline Magazine, in Kansas City, Kans., and Treasurer Ira Pilchin of the American Bar Association in Chicago, and the incoming vice president, Amy Fischbach of Kansas City, and Jyme Mariani of GMPRO in Fort Worth, Texas.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3162, the Children's Health and Medicare Protection Act (CHAMP Act). This important legislation will provide health care to 11 million children by reauthorizing and strengthening the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Insuring America's children is an affordable goal. It costs less than $3.50 a day--about the cost of a Starbucks Frappuccino--to cover a child through CHIP. Certainly we can all agree that this is an investment worth making. In addition to providing health coverage to children, this bill strengthens Medicare to ensure beneficiaries have access to their doctors and improves benefits to cover preventative and mental health services. This bill lays the groundwork for a long-term solution to the physician payment system. Medicare physician payment rates are set to be cut by 10 percent in 2008 and a 5 percent cut each year thereafter under current law. This bill eliminates pending cuts and enacts a .5 percent increase in both 2008 and 2009. Congress has a responsibility to protect our children's access to affordable health care and strengthen Medicare for patients and physicians. This bill accomplishes both these goals. I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation. Mr. Bishop of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, since its inception in 1997, I have been a steadfast proponent of SCHIP. This was perhaps most evident in January of this year when PeachCare, Georgia's SCHIP funded program, faced a $131 million shortfall. I hosted a bi-partisan delegation of Georgia lawmakers and public health officials who came to Washington to persuade the House leadership to fix the problem. In May, Congress approved and the President signed into law legislation which eliminated this shortfall faced by Georgia and other states. While my support of children's health care has never been in question, my vote today in favor of the bill was a difficult choice. I'm very uncomfortable with voting for any excise tax, especially one as regressive as a tobacco tax. The CHAMP Act presents a dilemma: improve access to health insurance for our youngest and most vulnerable citizens, or oppose the legislation to avoid causing harm to the many retailers and employees whose livelihoods depend upon the sale of tobacco, as well as the state and local governments that depend upon revenues generated from tobacco sales. This is not a perfect bill. But let us not let the ``perfect'' be the enemy of the ``good.'' This bill will ensure our children grow up healthy and strong, save millions of dollars for the taxpayers who pick up the tab for indigent care in emergency rooms, strengthen access to health care in rural America, and protect our nation's seniors by giving them the healthcare they deserve Mr. Latham. ``Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to R.R. 3162. First, I fully support reauthorizing the SCHIP program and preserving this important program intended to provide health insurance to low- income children. Having said that, I cannot support a bill that robs America's seniors of their Medicare benefits in order to give taxpayer-financed health care to illegal immigrants. The bill before us eliminates requirements that applicants show proof of citizenship, potentially allowing millions of illegal immigrants access to Medicaid and SCHIP. Furthermore, there is no requirement to ensure that eligible children from low-income families are enrolled before expanding coverage to children from middle-class or wealthier families. No limits on income eligibility are included, allowing a virtually open-ended expansion of the program to children that already have private health insurance. Meanwhile, 70 percent of uninsured children are already eligible for Medicaid or SCHIP and most of these are in the low-income category. The original intent of SCHIP was to cover low-income children, and we need to give these kids priority. To pay for the expansion of SCHIP, Democrats are cutting over $157 billion from Medicare Advantage, which provides enhanced benefits like prescription drug, vision and dental coverage, as well as lower out-of- pocket costs, for almost 51,000 Iowa seniors. This will result in a reduction of benefits for seniors enrolled in Medicare Advantage, and an increase in their costs. These drastic cuts will even force 3 million current beneficiaries out of the program. Pitting grandparents against their grandchildren is simply wrong. I urge my colleagues to reject this bill. Let's go back to the drawing board to produce a more responsible bill focused on providing health insurance to children from low-income families.'' Mrs. Bono. Mr. Speaker, I would like to express my strong support for the State Children's Health Insurance Program, or SCHIP, and the need for this program to be reauthorized. But, unfortunately, I must also state my opposition to the proposals that we have before us on the floor today. Since its enactment in 1997, SCHIP has been a tremendous success. SCHIP has been adopted in one form or another in every state across the nation. In my own state of California, we have enacted a combination of the SCHIP and Medicaid program to optimize coverage in the state. This program is better known as Healthy Families and currently provides coverage to more than 800,000 children. I strongly support the coverage that currently exists in California and voice my continued commitment to maintaining that coverage. I was heartened to see the bipartisan compromise that emerged from the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee earlier this month and that is currently being debated on the Senate floor. This legislation ensures that states will have adequate federal funding to continue their existing programs, while allowing others to expand coverage to more children. The bill also allows states to cover pregnant women and includes provisions to transition childless adults into Medicaid. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that this bill will lead to the coverage of three and a half million new children. And all this was done at $15 billion less than the SCHIP portion of the proposal that we have before us today. While I recognize that the Senate proposal is still a work in progress, I am supportive of many of the principles laid forth in this legislation and appreciate the flexibility with which states are allowed to continue operating this program. This CHAMP Act that is before us includes many provisions that are positive and attempt to address some very real and very serious problems facing the health care community. I know that my own state would benefit greatly from the Adult Day Health Care Services provision within the bill and would allow California and 7 other states to continue operating their long standing and successful programs. There are provisions that will amend Medicare Part D to aid patients relying on the AIDS Drug Assistance Program or ADAP to pay for their drugs. Perhaps most importantly, this legislation also includes a two year update for payments to physicians under the Medicare fee schedule. If current law is allowed to move forward doctors will be forced to absorb a nearly 10% cut in reimbursements. As the daughter of a doctor, I am sympathetic to this cause and have been supportive of efforts to stave off devastating cuts that have been pending in years past. I strongly believe that the problems we face as a result of the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) deserve our full and careful attention. I do not, however, believe that this is the vehicle to do so. While I support many, if not most of the provisions in this bill, I have a responsibility to vote for programs and policies that are necessary for the public and affordable for the taxpayer. This bill is typical of what we have come to expect from a Congress that refuses to put limits on what they are willing to support and ask the taxpayers to fund. I joined with several of my colleagues in co-sponsoring H.R. 3269, the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007, which was introduced by Representative Heather Wilson yesterday afternoon. I am proud to have co-sponsored this legislation that will do what needs to be done in an affordable and responsible manner. It would be a tragedy if this bill, that has bipartisan support in the Senate, were to lose and so many important projects pushed off track because this Congress refuses to deal with everyday realities of taxpayers struggling to make ends meet. I am deeply disappointed in the decision made by my colleagues on the Rules Committee to not only allow rejection of this amendment but every other amendment that may have helped to improve and reign in this irresponsible bill. To help pay for the obscene $90 billion price tag of this legislation, cuts have been proposed to hospital payments, inpatient rehabilitation services, skilled nursing facilities, and home health care services to name a few. I am very alarmed that a lion's share of these cutbacks will be felt by Medicare Advantage and the 8 million Medicare beneficiaries currently enrolled. In Riverside County alone, nearly 50 percent of Medicare beneficiaries have chosen to participate in a Medicare Advantage plan, more than 100,000 seniors. The bill that we have before us today will put each of us in the position of having to choose between children and seniors. As I have often stated, SCHIP must be reauthorized; 6.6 million children who are currently enrolled will find their coverage jeopardized if Congress does not act. We have long known that September 30th was looming and instead of acting, the leadership of the various Committee's of jurisdiction have chosen to wait until the 11th hour, and not just act on SCHIP, but to create a veritable Christmas tree of major health care policy reforms with no legislative hearings. We can and should act on behalf of SCHIP. I encourage my colleagues in the House to follow the example of the Senate and consider a bill that is clean and focused and allows members to vote their conscience on coverage for children. I will not be voting for the CHAMP Act today for these reasons. I hope that my colleagues on both sides of the aisle will come together during Conference, put aside partisanship, put aside a grab bag of legislation and bring back a bill that is truly for our children.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of H.R. 3093, the Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations bill. This legislation includes $175,000,000 for a DNA analysis and capacity enhancement program and other local, State, and Federal forensic activities. Of this funding, not less than $151,000,000 is directed toward the Debbie Smith DNA Backlog Grant Program which helps to reduce and eliminate the backlog of DNA samples and increase State and local DNA laboratory capacity . I introduced legislation named after Debbie Smith in 2001. In 2004 this bill was signed into law and since that time, Congress has consistently shown its support for this valuable program. With this funding we help ensure that other rape survivors will not have to wait as long as Debbie did to put their assailant behind bars. I want to acknowledge the funding in the bill for efforts to combat human trafficking. It is important that we protect the victims of the sex trade industry, and punish the predators that exploit them. While human trafficking is a problem in other countries, it is happening here in the United States too. I also want to thank Chairman Mollohan and Ranking Member Frelinghuysen for their dedication to fully funding the Census Bureau's needs. As we head into the final two years before the decennial census in 2010, funding for the census is now more critical than ever. This bill fully funds the ramp-up to this constitutionally mandated survey, and restores the funding that the Bush administration cut for the decennial census partnership program. Partnerships are an essential component of the decennial census effort, enlisting local community leaders and organizations to partner with the Census Bureau to use existing community relationships to promote census participation. Mr. Mollohan and Mr. Frelinghuysen should also be commended for providing funds to once again continue the Survey of Income and Program Participation. Last year, the Bush administration proposed eliminating this survey, which is the only source of policy-relevant data on economic well-being and participation in government programs, and replacing it with a more limited survey a few years from now. After much discussion with members of Congress and the stakeholder community, the Administration came to the conclusion that their plan to replace the SIPP was not viable, and they changed course, advocating a continuation of the SIPP. While they had not requested enough money in the budget to do so, Mr. Mollohan and Mr. Frelinghuysen came through to provide the necessary funds. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of S. 1, the Honest Leadership, Open Government Act. As the scandals of the past few years have made clear, it is time to change the way that business is conducted in Washington. The legislation before us today will implement several necessary reforms including new transparency for lobbyists who bundle campaign contributions, ending the K Street Project, expanding public disclosure of Members' travel and finances, and closing the revolving door between the legislative branch and post-employment lobbying. S. 1 is supported by Common Cause, Democracy 21, Public Citizen, League of Women Voters, U.S. PIRG, and Campaign Legal Center. I hope that this bill will help to restore the American people's confidence in their government. I want to commend Speaker Pelosi and the Democratic Leadership for their commitment to getting this legislation through Congress. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I thank him for his outstanding work on this issue and many others. I rise in strong support of the rule for H.R. 2831. In the Ledbetter case, the Supreme Court has outdone itself. Against reason, against logic, against fairness, they ruled that women must file their claim a scant 180 days from the date on which their salary first became unequal. In a world where most workers do not know what their colleagues are earning, the 180-day rule is an insurmountable barrier with terrible consequences. Miss the deadline and you're stuck with discrimination for the rest of your career. What's more, since raises are often based on a percentage of pay, small differences magnify over time. Under the Supreme Court's twisted reasoning, employees cannot contest this growing disparity if they don't protest at the beginning. This bill restores reason, logic and fairness to the process. Every unequal paycheck ought to be recognized for what it is, a new act of discrimination. I urge my colleagues to support this rule and to support the fair underlying bill. I congratulate the Democratic leadership for coming forward with it, and I urge my colleagues to vote for this rule.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. It is not in the conference report. It is not in the underlying bill.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. I rise in strong support of this rule and the underlying bill, and I congratulate this Democratic majority and this speaker for making security an absolute priority and for implementing all of the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission and making it a priority. This bill was H.R. 1, the first bill introduced under the Democratic Congress, and it increases funding in many areas, particularly the interoperability of first responders' phones. The phones did not work on 9/11; the communications did not work. They still do not work. This will move us towards safer responding of our first responders. Over $4 billion for rail and security and trains and buses. And very, very importantly, it calls that our grants, our grants that are based on high threat, on security risks is based just on that, security risks, so that the money goes where it is needed, not in pork barrel politics. And today marks the end of a very long journey that, along with many of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, including Representative Shays and 9/11 family members, when we joined together and formed the 9/11 Commission Caucus and introduced legislation to implement all of the recommendations. While the bill that was signed into law in 2004 did not include everything in the recommendations that our bill called for, it was a necessary first step in the process, and we are completing that process today. The first bill was the first bill of major reorganization of our government since 1946. It coordinated all of our 15 different agencies under the National Intelligence Director, and it moved us in the right direction. This bill completes the recommendations of the commission in a bipartisan way. All the members have endorsed this legislation. I want to note the heroic efforts of the 9/11 family members, including Mary and Frank Fetchet; Beverly Eckert; Carol Ashley; Abraham Scott; Rosemary Dillard; and Carrie Lemack. They have worked selflessly and tirelessly for years to pass this. They are an inspiration to me and this body, and I do not believe these bills would have passed without them. Particularly, I want to note the provisions in the conference report that strengthen the privacy and civil liberties board more to the way that the 9/11 Commission recommended: a strong board, not the very weak one that the previous majority championed. This bill establishes a strong, independent board with subpoena power. And this conference report will achieve many more significant reforms. It will make our country safer. I urge my colleagues to support this rule, the underlying bill, so that we will strengthen our homeland security and our defenses against another terrorist attack. It is based on merit. It is based on the 9/11 Commission Report. I urge an ``aye.''

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2929, a bill that would ensure that no permanent U.S. military bases are established in Iraq. As a cosponsor of this legislation, I believe that H.R. 2929 sends an important message to the Iraqi people that we respect their sovereignty. We can take the wind out of the sails of extremists and insurgents who benefit enormously from the Iraqi public perception that the United States intends to maintain permanent bases and troop presence within the nation. In December 2006 the bipartisan Iraq Study Group recommended that the United States clearly state that our Nation does not seek permanent bases in Iraq or to control Iraq's oil. We must speak out now to show the Iraqi people and the international community that we support full sovereignty for Iraq, entrusted to a functioning Iraqi government. Although this body previously has approved provisions banning permanent bases in Iraq, these provisions are due to expire on September 30, 2007. H.R. 2929 would make this ban permanent. Congress has made clear that there should be no permanent U.S. bases in Iraq, despite the Administration's warnings for a prolonged military presence in Iraq. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.